Press Scanner

Compiled by Gvantsa Gabekhadze

Monday, August 29

Where Bitsadze is to be given political asylum?

Rezonsasi have published an interview with the leader of Democratic Movement – United Georgia, Nino Burjanadze, who has responded to questions regarding her future plans, the current political reality and on her husband, Badri Bitsadze , who was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment in absentia, after the May 26 street rallies, “ I am not an ordinary citizen, I am the political leader of the party, and therefore I will join any process with this status ... herewith, I have enough experience to look at battles for leadership with a smile. Any preplanned scenario that someone will be a leader is an error, which is frequently made by inexperienced politicians, “ Burjanadze said and underlined that in any case she will fight for changing the current authorities of Georgia, “ I have very interesting meetings with certain members of the Representative Public Assembly, there is a new reality in the state and we should act based on this reality, “ the party leader said and mentioned that no elections would have meaning without real changes in the country and they would be falsified as self governments’ elections were, “ if there is no free media and business, impartial court in the country, elections would be useless, the Government must be left without those levers. As for Badri Bitsadze, Burjanadze mentioned that she has met and talked with her husband and the court decision is to be appealed to the European Court, “as for political asylum, we would make such an appeal to one of the European states and the request will be satisfied. It is absolutely obvious that the Georgian court’s decision was a revenge mission against my family,“ Burjanadze, said.

Georgian sailors held captive for by Somali pirates for a year

Newspaper Kviris Palitra has reported on the most recent news regarding Georgians sailors, who have been held in captivity by Somali pirates for one year already. As the newspaper reads “based on a trusty source, whose name is not being released “ the Turkish Government is very actively involved in negotiations with the pirates, (the citizens of Turkey are also on the ship) “unlike the Georgian authorities, which only made statements. Only after the involvement of the Turkish side in the negotiations, was some hope revealed, “the newspaper states and underlines that Georgian Government’s actions strained the situation more than managed to find some outcome from it, “ as soon as the pirates got information that Georgian side was as if actively involved in the negotiations, they were increasing ransom, as it seems even very experienced pirates, who thought that the Government, which pays millions for concerts, would pay some money for saving 15 Georgian lives.” Kviris Palitra also underlines that the Foreign Ministry had no information on the ongoing negotiations between the pirates and the Turkish Government on the issue and they got information concerning it from the newspaper, “Asked whether the government was engaged in negotiations with Somali pirates, we were told that it was not their issue and that we should apply to the Navy Department.”

According to Kviris Palitra, the release of Georgian sailors might take place by September 15. The initial ransom was USD 15 000 000; The newspaper states that for now, the ransom has been decreased to USD 1 000 000.